In New York, Amazon's first union hopes to inspire other workers
Christian Smalls celebrates with union members after getting the results of the vote to unionize Amazon's Staten Island warehouse, Friday, April 1, 2022, in the borough of Brooklyn in New York.
AP - Eduardo Munoz Avarez
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
On Friday, April 1, Amazon workers in Staten Island, a suburb of New York won a historic victory.
They voted for the creation of a union.
A first for the American giant.
This Friday, they celebrated their victory and promised to continue the movement.
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With our correspondent in New York,
Loubna Anaki
“
While Jeff Bezos was in space, we were here preparing the union!
".
In the middle of the group of workers, a few steps from the Amazon warehouse in Staten Island, Christian Smalls does not hide his happiness... It was he, two years ago, who started the movement for the creation of the union, the " Amazon Labor Union” (ALU) which he now chairs.
“
It was Amazon against the people, and the people decided.
And he wants a union!
“, harangues the employee in a megaphone.
This is the first time in the United States that workers have succeeded in creating a union.
An initiative viewed with suspicion by the management of Amazon, which campaigned against it.
“
It doesn't matter how much money they spend because they neglect the human.
And that's what allowed us to win!
“adds Chris Small.
A colleague takes over: “
The unions have built this country.
We have to make them understand!
We're tired of Amazon and its lies!
»
Great fun to have @Shut_downAmazon and @DerrickPalmer_ in the @afa_cwa office talking organizing and building power all over this country and around the world.
Let's go!
pic.twitter.com/tB3RNBQxeR
— Sara Nelson (@FlyingWithSara) April 7, 2022
The Amazon union has announced that it will fight for better wages and working conditions for the 8,000 workers at the Staten Island warehouse.
They also promise to frame other sites to help them do the same.
An appeal filed
The battle is not over in New York: Amazon plans to file an appeal with the regulator, with several objections, specifies AFP.
The company believes in particular that the ALU "
threatened employees to force them to vote yes" and "campaigned with employees in the queue to vote
", according to official documents filed Thursday with the federal labor law agency (NLRB).
This union's historic victory is already inspiring other workers far beyond Amazon.
On Friday, April 8, three more Starbucks came out in favor of unionization, for a total of 16 in the country.
►
To read also: United States: employees vote in favor of the creation of a first union at Starbucks
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